UNREAL ENGINE 5

Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat were all developed by GSC Game World’s internal X-Ray Engine, but with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the developer decided to take a different direction. The sequel is instead built on Unreal Engine 5, making it the first game in the series to do so, which in turn has brought a number of benefits, as per the studio itself. The game uses the engine’s Lumen and Nanite technologies to deliver impressive visual and technical results with the environments, lighting, and more, so players can expect a much greater level of detail in locations, allowing the setting to be brought to life much more comprehensively. In addition to making use of the engine’s expanded toolset, however, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is also going to bring forward (in overhauled form) some of the original trilogy’s key characteristics on the tech front. Speaking of which…

A-LIFE 2.0

The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy stands out for a multitude of reasons, but chief among them is the A-Life system, which is what GSC Game World dubbed its proprietary system of artificial intelligence. In a nutshell A-Life governed literally hundreds of NPCs and monsters throughout the entirety of the game world, each with their own unique schedules and non-scripted behaviours that they would continue to follow even when they weren’t interacting with the player. That, of course, grew increasingly common in open world games as time went on, but the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series did it better than most.

It’s not surprising, then, that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is touting A-Life 2.0, which GSC Game World says will make for a dynamic, unpredictable, and highly reactive open world where things will always be happening regardless of whether or not the player is there to witness them. This is how the studio describes the overhauled A-Life system in the upcoming shooter: “The reimagined version of this system, which we call A-Life 2.0, will control the state of the world and the behavior of characters and mutants, making the Zone ever-changing and truly alive. Countless events and encounters will happen every moment — even if you are not around to witness them with your own eyes.”

NEW PROTAGONIST

It doesn’t look like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is going to lose the series’ trademark level of stiff challenge in a bid to appeal to newcomers, but given how long the series was dormant, it is still being designed as a game that those not familiar with past entries can play and understand. That goes hand in hand with a new protagonist. Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat saw us playing as Strelok, Scar, and Major Alexander Degtyarev respectively, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will once again introduce a new protagonist in the form of a Stalker named Skif. Does that mean we shouldn’t expect any familiar characters to rear their heads though? That seems unlikely. The aforementioned Strelok, for instance, has had a crucial role to play in all S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games thus far, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see him showing up in the upcoming sequel as well.

NEW LOCATIONS

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is once again going to take players to the infamous Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which is where the original trilogy was obviously set as well. That, of course, will mean the return of plenty of familiar locations, though players can expect to see a host of new locations as well. In total, GSC Game World has revealed that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s map is over 60 square kilometers in size, touting it as one of the biggest open world maps ever made, with a total of 20 different regions, which means players can expect to see plenty that they haven’t seen before, even if this isn’t your first time in the Zone.

ENHANCED RETURNING LOCATIONS

As mentioned, plenty of the locations you visit in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s world will be familiar to you if you have played the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy, with areas such as Cordon, Duga, Pripyat, and many others confirmed to be returning. But though you’ll be seeing several familiar locations, landmarks, and what have you, you’ll be seeing them in significantly enhanced form, with the game boasting a much greater level of detail and fidelity. Meanwhile, on top of the visual boosts, familiar locations in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 might also be tweaked in their design- such as some areas that weren’t accessible in past titles now being fully explorable.

SEAMLESS OPEN WORLD

Here’s another major improvement to look forward to from a technical perspective. The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy obviously prided itself on the freedom it offered to players across its open world settings, but thanks to the technological limitations of the hardware they were made for, those games’ maps were never fully seamless, instead being split up and then stitched back together with loading screens. Thankfully, as you’d expect, that won’t be the case in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, which is going to be a fully seamless open world experience. Given how heavily the game is emphasizing the immersion factor, that should certainly be a boost.

AI IMPROVEMENTS

We’ve already spoken about the improvements GSC Game World is making to the AI in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 with its A-Life 2.0 system, but that will govern characters’ behaviour independent of the player- what can we expect from the game’s AI with something more direct and straightforward, like combat? GSC Game World has said it’s made improvements in this area as well. As fans of the original trilogy will tell you, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise did continue to offer AI improvements with time (for the most part), but hopefully, we’re in for a much bigger leap with the series’ upcoming revival.

NEW FACTIONS, MUTANTS, AND ANOMALIES

This one shouldn’t come as any surprise, but yes, players will be encountering plenty of new mutants, factions, and anomalies throughout the Exclusion Zone in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Unsurprisingly, developer GSC Game World hasn’t gone into too much detail on exactly what to expect from the game on that front – presumably, the developers want players to discover that themselves – but we do know that though there will be factions, anomalies, and mutants in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 that will be familiar to series fans, there will also be several others who will not be.

LENGTH

All three of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are quite sizeable – the first one in particular – but Heart of Chornobyl is looking like it’s going to crank things up a notch on that front. As opposed to the average length of anywhere between 20-30 hours for the original trilogy games (with some obvious variations, depending on how you’re playing), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is being touted as a game with a 40-hour main story, while for completionists it will be more like a 100-hour game, according to GSC Game World.

LESS JANK

As great as the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games were, even their biggest defenders will tell you that they had a distinct lack of polish. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is looking like it absolutely will retain the tone and style of its predecessors, but it’s also looking like a much less janky version of that style of experience. That’s something that the game’s hands-on previews have stated as well, and frankly, we couldn’t be more excited about a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game that feels polished without losing any of the series’ many other idiosyncrasies.

Duke Nukem 3D

3D Realms’ Duke Nukem 3D hasn’t aged well when examining its more risque elements. At the time, it stood out for imbuing some character into the first-person shooter genre, courtesy of Duke’s one-liners. The environmental interactions and destruction also felt fresh, to say nothing of bizarre weapons like the Shrink Ray for cutting enemies down to size.

SUPERHOT

What should be a gimmicky concept – time only moving when you do – results in an engaging, clever experience in the first-person shooter space. Superhot isn’t just about scoring headshots, throwing weapons, or swinging katanas to take out scores of enemies – it’s the assessment, the moments between each kill, that make it sing.

Valorant

Mix Counter-Strike: GO’s tactical shooting with characters befitting a hero shooter and you get Valorant, in a nutshell. As slow-paced and odd as it may seem, this is also one of the best tactical shooters, if not competitive multiplayer titles, out there. Despite only being out for a little over four years, Valorant offers tense gameplay that’s hard to put down.

Borderlands 3

Ignore the base game’s story, characters and writing for the sake of your sanity, and the gameplay in Borderlands 3 is a significant step up. From the smoother response and feedback and improved mobility to more varied gun types and deeper build crafting, it’s a strong looter shooter, though nowhere near as timeless as its predecessor.

DOOM 1 + DOOM 2

While fairly recent, DOOM 1 + DOOM 2 collects the best of both titles into one excellent package. Boasting all their additional content, Sigil, and a great new campaign by MachineGames, the release is made even better with in-game mod support, a stellar remixed soundtrack and cross-platform multiplayer deathmatch, with 26 new maps to cause chaos on.

Killzone 2

After the infamous E3 2005 incident, Guerrilla Games’ first-person shooter had nowhere to go but up, and subsequently knocked it out of the park. The gorgeous visuals were a factor, of course, but the well-designed missions, gunplay, intelligent AI, and tight level design made for an incredible experience (even if the ending was underwhelming).

Halo 3 ODST

Though not quite the follow-up that fans expected, especially after Halo 3’s thunderous conclusion, ODST was still a worthy side story. It focused on one of the most compelling units, the Helljumpers, as they infiltrated New Mombasa and engaged in urban warfare with the Covenant. Perhaps its biggest contribution is the introduction of Firefight, a Horde-style variant with difficulty modifiers, a shared lives pool, and multiple sets to overcome.

Bulletstorm

People Can Fly and Epic Games had a pretty simple goal with Bulletstorm – gamifying stylish ways to kill the opposition. The story and characters are ultimately secondary; kicking enemies into environmental hazards, sending them sky high for some skeet shooting, and more for extra points is ultimately what sold the experience. Even if it remains underrated (no thanks to its terrible VR port), Bulletstorm is still a hell-raising good time.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

The Zone remains as haunting as ever in GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, the third title in the series and most compelling yet. Though it has its share of bugs, the sandbox gameplay combined with the atmospheric horror and survival elements make for a harrowing time, whether you’re dealing with Anomalies or the various factions.

Destiny 2

Bungie’s live service shooter has had a long history, one with many ups and downs. Even throughout all of the changes, it remains perhaps the best of its kind. Between excellent campaigns like The Witch Queen and The Final Shape, an unmistakable feel for its weapons, gorgeous art direction, and stellar raids, Destiny 2 is still worth playing.

Unreal Tournament

When Quake 3 Arena was believed to reign supreme, Unreal Tournament appeared out of nowhere and claimed the throne. While the former still held a strong esports presence, the latter was the overall better product, from its map design and visuals to the sheer variety of mode types. Assault alone is an incredible addition to the competitive FPS formula and playing with AI bots actually felt enjoyable, even on the higher difficulties.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Turok may have initially come across as “What if FPS but killing dinosaurs instead of humans?” but surprised many with its exploration and gorgeous visuals on the Nintendo 64. Of course, the combat was no slouch either, as each of the 13 weapons resulted in ample gore. Together, these elements made for an unorthodox but memorable shooter.

Prey (2017)

What could have been with the Prey franchise if Human Head Studios’ sequel wasn’t cancelled? We’ll never know, but in the meantime, Arkane Austin’s 2017 reboot, which embraces a more immersive sim structure and deep space paranoia, is excellent. As Morgan Yu, players must survive in a massive space station overrun with Typhon, but not everything is as it seems. The result is one of the finest first-person titles ever made.

Far Cry 3

Moving away from Far Cry 2’s realistic sandbox, Far Cry 3 went much bigger, returning to the tropical island setting while introducing a compelling new villain. Though the story is far more structured, the open world is rife with quests, enemy camps, wild animals, and much more. To this day, Far Cry 3 remains in a class of its own.

Metro: Last Light

Much as Metro Exodus embraced an open-world-style approach to its large areas, there’s something about Metro: Last Light and its linear narrative. Maybe it’s how well-designed each section felt, whether you were escaping from captivity or slinking through the surface, avoiding contact with its mutants. Perhaps it was the moral dilemmas that Artyom faced. Either way, the series’ brand of survival and fast-paced gunplay is at its peak here.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Classic)

Ignoring the utter cluster that Aspyr’s re-released turned out to be in the online department, the classic Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is still a timeless game. The campaign is enjoyable enough but Galactic Conquest was a game changer of a single-player mode, offering a Risk-like map to fight through and conquer. Multiplayer was still arguably the highlight of it all, especially with 24 maps and modes like Hero Assault.

Medal of Honor (1999)

Developed by Dreamworks Interactive, it was the premiere World War 2 title, immersing players in the conflicts of the time while offering a top-tier presentation. Allied Assault would be more remembered thanks to its recreation of the Battle of Normandy, but Medal of Honor still deserves its flowers.

Left 4 Dead 2

Decried as little more than an expansion pack before launch, Left 4 Dead 2 expanded so much on its predecessor’s already compelling co-op gameplay. New Special Infected, deeper campaigns with more varied objectives, a wider variety of melee weapons and guns, and incredible replay value courtesy of its AI Director were just some of the reasons it stood out. Of course, its modability over the years has also ensured some great laughs.

Resistance 3

As the conclusion to the Resistance trilogy, Insomniac’s Resistance 3 is also its least successful. It’s a shame because, on top of new and old weapons, the atmosphere and dark subject matter added to the stakes, making it feel like humanity’s last desperate attempt to stay alive. While it still needed some polish, the gunplay and overall presentation made for a fitting end to the series.

System Shock (2023)

One of the best first-person titles ever made, System Shock is also far from easy to remake. Nevertheless, Nightdive Studios took a swing, rebuilding the visuals from the ground up while staying true to the far-future cyberpunk aesthetic of the original. Even with the improved UI, overhauled Cyberspace and other changes, it still maintains that sense of dread and terror that defined the original.

GoldenEye 007

Rare was already pretty well-established before GoldenEye 007 and yet, its launch raised the developer’s stock considerably. It isn’t just one of the best video game adaptations of a movie (usually a formula for failure back then), but proof that console shooters could be great. The local multiplayer alone defined many gamers’ lives growing up.

Cyberpunk 2077

After all the updates, revamped perks, and improvements, Cyberpunk 2077 has gone from a good first-person shooter to a great one. It’s backed by actual build variety, whether you’re a manic Mantis Blades user, a Netrunner overloading every single enemy, or skilled in a variety of guns. Of course, everything else that makes the game great, from its side quests to its open-world activities, doesn’t hurt either.

Wolfenstein 3D

While not quite the first-ever FPS made, Wolfenstein 3D is what ultimately led to the genre’s rise. It was frantic and fast-paced, with revolutionary visuals and excellent weapons. Though it offered secrets to discover throughout its ten episodes, the simplicity is ultimately what made it such a universal hit.

Quake 2 Remastered

Crafted with Nightdive’s assistance, the recent enhanced edition of Quake 2 packs all the mission packs, Quake 2 64, and a new episode from MachineGames into one package. Then it adds the id Vault, AI opponents in multiplayer, 4K/120 Hz support, and various quality-of-life features, turning one of id’s best shooters ever into a contemporary must-play.

The FINALS

Embark Studios’ THE FINALS is often forgotten when discussing competitive shooters, especially free-to-play options. Nevertheless, it’s a strong package with some unique modes, dynamic combat thanks to full environmental destruction, and extensive strategy, thanks to the unique gadgets. The arena-style combat may not appeal to everyone, but it still makes for some intense PvP sessions.

Black Mesa

If developing a sequel to Half-Life is challenging, remaking the experience, especially as a small team of fans, is an almost Herculean effort. Yet throughout many years of waiting, Black Mesa was finally a reality, delivering everything we loved about the original with gorgeous revamped visuals and entirely new sections like Xen.

DOOM (2016)

Considering how diminished interest had been in the franchise, it’s a miracle that DOOM even released. The fact that it’s this good is just an anomaly. Everything about it, from the visuals and action, particularly the new Glory Kills, is simply fantastic.

Perfect Dark

GoldenEye 007 showcased Rare’s surprising expertise for incredible first-person shooters and Perfect Dark only solidified it. With a tighter narrative focus and strong characterization (as seen with the iconic Joanna Dark), it weaved stealth, tense gunplay, memorable set pieces, and stellar levels into one cohesive package. The fact that it delivered so much despite the Nintendo 64 nearing the end of its lifespan is an achievement unto itself.

Titanfall 2

While it’s a shame that the original didn’t become all that popular, Titanfall 2’s fate is even more tragic given the sheer quality involved. The multiplayer is much more involved with its variety of Titans, weapon types and abilities (even if some maps could be hit or miss). Furthermore, the campaign is simply an all-timer with its level design, boss fights, and stories, making it worth the price of admission alone.

Half-Life 2

When you’re in Valve’s shoes and Half-Life is the pinnacle of narrative first-person shooters, there are high expectations. Yet, Half-Life 2 surpasses with relative ease, from the presentation and world-building to the story-telling and characters. Each area is memorable and unique; the Combine makes for enjoyable foes to fight; and the Gravity Gun is iconic all on its own.

Regardless, it’s a fantasy that many enjoy indulging in, and there are some great games to help with that. Check out 25 of the best post-apocalyptic games available on PC and what makes them so fun.

Fallout 4

Controversial though it may be among hardcore fans, Fallout 4 remains the most accessible game in the series, with some of the best combat. The Commonwealth is pretty massive, with multiple points of interest to explore, junk to pick up and settlements to build up. Learning more about the post-nuclear fallout world, whether it’s HalluciGen Inc and its suspicious chemicals that drive enemies mad or the creepiness of Dunwich Borers, is enticing. Plus, you can lead gangs of raiders or build robots with the DLC. Just steer clear of Preston Garvey. Your sanity will thank you.

SYNDICATE (2012)

In 2012, EA and Starbreeze teamed up for a revival of the Syndicate series, only instead of making a real-time tactics game like the originals, they made a first person shooter. It was drastic shift, of course, and 2012’s Syndicate doesn’t ever match the heights of its predecessors- but it’s still a fun ride. It looked really good for its time and brought its cyberpunk setting to life really well, and there was a lot of fun to be had in its combat encounters.

Dead Space

The sequels may have leaned further into the “action” but Visceral Games’ first title in the Dead Space series will always remain its most significant. In one fell swoop, it combined excellent shooting mechanics, a strong narrative and stellar Metroidvania level design with abject terror. It’s not easy to compete with Silent Hill or Resident Evil when creating an atmosphere of dread but Dead Space pulled it off while delivering its own unique hooks like limb targeting, stasis and so on.

Fragile Jump – Death Stranding

In Death Stranding, fast travel is made possible by teleportation which isn’t all that odd (it’s the future, after all). However, teleporting is done via an umbrella owned by Fragile. Following some events in Chapter 3, Sam unlocks the ability to fast travel to safe houses by simply looking at the wall where the umbrella hangs and hitting the prompt. Fragile will then jump in with her umbrella, she and Sam will touch heads and off you go. That this isn’t even remotely the weirdest thing in Death Stranding is an understatement.

Just Cause 4

How could we not mention Just Cause 4, especially when the entire hook of the game is its extreme weather? Tornadoes emerge naturally, swallowing up nearby foes and debris; thunderstorms will strike down enemy helicopters and a stray Rico if he’s caught unaware; and sandstorms will be rough, coarse, irritating and so on. It’d be amazing to sit back and watch the destruction unfold if you weren’t at risk of being destroyed yourself.